Biography

Garrett earned his B.A. in economics in 1978 and his M.D. in 1984 from the University of Virginia. His professional experience includes working as a general surgeon. He was also an at-large Council Member for Lynchburg in 2006.[1]

2010-2011

Issues

Banning "Spice"

State SenatorMark Herring (D) introduced a bill for the 2011 General Assembly session to ban the synthetic marijuana nicknamed "K2" or "Spice."

“There’s a reason stores are putting it on their shelves — because teens and young adults are buying it and smoking it,” said Herring, who introduced a bill to ban the substance. Synthetic marijuana was created during the 1990s in a lab at Clemson University and has been available for several years. Approximately 10 other states had regulations on "Spice" at the time Herring introduced his bill.

Garrett said he became concerned with "Spice" after hearing reports from law enforcement about people coming into the emergency room after smoking it. One young man was “taken to the emergency room and couldn’t move his arms and legs,” Garrett told the press in November 2010.[2]

A version of the "Spice" ban bill was signed into law, but subsequent bills needed to be added to counter the creative chemists who change the substance slightly to circumnavigate the formulas in state law. Garrett introduced another bill in 2013 in an effort to keep ahead of those inventing new versions of the substance, which is between four and 100 times more powerful than marijuana and may result in psychosis, paranoia, and hallucinations. GovernorBob McDonnell (R) singed Garrett's 2013 bill into law as well.[3]

Elections

2013

Garrett is running for re-election in the 2013 election for Virginia House of Delegates District 23. Garrett ran unopposed in the June 11th Republican Primary. The general election takes place on November 5, 2013.

Personal

Garrett and his wife, Whitney, have two children.

Garrett has served on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce. He has also served as the president of the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society, the Historic Sandusky Foundation, and the
Lynchburg Fine Arts Center.[1]